Extended forward tow saddlemount—single rail

ABSTRACT

An extended forward tow, single rail saddlemount or tow bar is disclosed. The tow bar allows a first towing truck to mount a second truck, facing forward, behind the first truck, in order to tow the second truck. The tow bar allows the towed truck to face forward during transport, thus allowing for normal loads and stresses of movement on the towed truck, rather than the much higher high wind loads and unusual stresses imposed by a rear-ward facing tow. The saddlemount is also designed to minimize the required vertical rise on the towed truck, which also avoids additional stresses during loading and unloading onto the towing truck. Lower stress is achieved by using a pivot pin nearer the towed truck rather than the usual pivot pin or king pin on the towing truck.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally relates to towed motor vehicle transportationand tools for assisting in towing of vehicles from one location toanother location.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The economy of the United States, if not of the world, depends to agreat extent on fleets of large trucks for the distribution of goods,such as foods, consumer products, durable goods, and even industrialequipment. There are many manufacturers of such trucks, which concernprimarily, but are not limited to, class 7 or class 8 over-the-roadtrucks. Once these trucks are manufactured, they require shipment ortransportation either to the carrier or other company for whom the truckwas made, or to a dealer who sells or leases these trucks. The mostobvious method to transport these trucks is by driving them directly totheir destination. This method has disadvantages, at least because eachtruck requires a driver, who must be paid for his or her services andfor whom return transportation must be arranged.

In order to overcome the necessity of a driver for delivering eachtruck, a variety of techniques have been devised to use a first truckthat will carry or tow one or more additional trucks to the desireddestination. One example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,214. Thispatent discloses a tow bar that attaches to the fifth wheel of both thetowing vehicle and the towed vehicle. The towed vehicle is towed in arear-ward fashion behind the front vehicle. Using this technique, thetowed vehicle is exposed to the full force of the air that isencountered during the tow. Any aerodynamic surfaces of the towedvehicle will be subjected to reverse stresses, i.e., the wind willimpose loads on the truck at 180° from the direction expected during thedesign of the truck. Thus, the roof cap, side fairings, and anyadditional fairings, such as side and chassis fairings, should be bracedor buttressed for the trip. This adds additional cost to the delivery ofthe truck. In addition, it is not clear that, even using both fifthwheels, the towed truck will have sufficient freedom of movement to beable to rotate slightly during turns.

Another technique is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,468. This patentdiscloses a decking bar that mounts to the truck chassis in front of andabove the front axle of the towed vehicle. The decking bar has arelatively uniform cross section with differently-shaped end portionsand is also relatively short. Using this technique, the towed truck islifted vertically and is not drawn close in a horizontal direction. Inorder to minimize the vertical lift, the decking bar is mounted abovethe front axle of the towed truck, which is then suspended by mountingthe decking bar to the chassis of the towed truck.

Another technique is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,593. This patentdiscloses a piggyback truck transport system. Using this system, a firsttowing truck mounts a second towed truck on its rear portion. The towedtruck is lifted a substantial distance in a vertical direction, puttinga stress on the truck and also putting the combination load at risk forviolating a vertical height limit. The towed truck is lifted asubstantial distance because its front wheels rest on the rear of thetowing truck, thus elevating the towed truck a considerable distance.This height may limit the route which is taken in delivering the trucks.The height may be lessened by removing the front tires of the towedvehicles, which also adds to the delivery expense.

Another technique is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,642, for aself-lubricated king pin and saddle assembly. This patent discloses aunique structure and method for lubricating a king pin during towing.The king pin continuously receives lubrication from a series of channelsand reservoirs that are periodically refilled. While useful, thisapparatus and technique does not solve any specifically aerodynamicproblems.

Trucks may also be transported with equipment and a method disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 6,120,051. This patent discloses a method in which a firsttruck tows a second, rear-facing truck, using a special beam assembly.In this method, a boom saddle is used in conjunction with the fifthwheel of the towing truck and the fifth wheel or a support mount of thetowed vehicle. The special provisions of the boom saddle allow forlateral and vertical movement of the beam assembly. While this methodworks well, it continues to have the disadvantage of towing a vehiclethat faces rear-ward. Thus, the structure of the towed vehicle must bebraced or buttressed during towing, adding to the cost of the tow. Inaddition, the extra wind resistance of the open rear portion of thetruck detracts significantly from fuel economy during a long tow, suchas from a manufacturer to a customer or dealer.

The invention provides better equipment and a better method for towingtrucks. These and other advantages of the invention, as well asadditional inventive features, will be apparent from the description ofthe invention provided herein.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment is an extended forward tow saddlemount. The frontsaddlemount includes a front portion including two devices spaced apartfront to rear for separate mounting to a towing vehicle, a middleportion connected to the front portion for adapting an elevation of atowed vehicle, the towed vehicle facing forward, and a rear portionconnected to the middle portion for adjustably connecting to the towedvehicle, the rear portion further including a pivot, wherein a positionof the front portion is optionally adjustable with respect to the twodevices.

Another embodiment provides an extended forward tow saddlemount. Thefront saddlemount includes a front portion for interfacing with a towingvehicle, the front portion including a first and a second extensionplate for mounting to the towing vehicle, a middle portion, configuredfor connection to the front portion, for adapting an elevation of atowed vehicle, and a rear portion, configured for connection to themiddle portion, for mounting to an axle and wheels of the towed vehicle,the rear portion further including an axle mount and two wheel mountsfor mounting the towed vehicle, wherein the rear portion furthercomprises a swivel for rotatable connection to the axle mount andwherein a length of the rear portion is adjustable.

Yet another embodiment is an extended forward tow saddlemount. Thesaddlemount includes a front portion including two spaced apart mountsconfigured for mounting to a towing vehicle. The embodiment alsoincludes a middle portion configured for connection to the front portionat a first joint, and a rear portion for removable connection to themiddle portion at a second joint, the rear portion further including aswivelable portion configured for mounting a towed vehicle, theswivelable portion further including wheel mounts for the towed vehicle,wherein the rear portion is configured for adjusting a length of therear portion, and wherein the wheel mounts are optionally configured foradjusting a size of the wheel mounts.

Another embodiment is a method of preparing to tow a forward-facingtowed vehicle with a towing vehicle. The method includes a step offurnishing a single rail extended forward tow saddlemount, thesaddlemount including a front portion and two spaced apart plates formounting to the towing vehicle, a middle portion for adapting anelevation of the forward-facing towed vehicle, and a rear portion foradjustably mounting to an axle and wheels of the towed vehicle, whereinthe front portion is configured for joining at a first angle to themiddle portion and the middle portion is configured for joining to therear portion at a second angle, and wherein the front portion isconfigured to allow no horizontal rotation of the saddlemount withrespect to the towing vehicle and wherein the rear portion is configuredfor pivotal mounting to the forward-facing towed vehicle. The methodalso includes steps of mounting the front portion to the towing vehiclewith a mounting pin or a mounting bar, adjusting a length of the rearportion, and mounting the rear portion to an axle or to wheels of thetowed vehicle.

Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become more apparentfrom the following detailed description when taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of thespecification illustrate several aspects of the present invention and,together with the description, serve to explain the principles of theinvention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a single railextended forward tow saddlemount;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an extension plate mount as depicted inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged and more detailed view of the rear portion of theembodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the use of the single rail extended forward towsaddlemount;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of an alternate embodiment of the rearportion of the single rail extended forward tow saddlemount;

FIG. 6 depicts a wheel security device;

FIG. 7 depicts a prior art mounting bar suitable for mounting via akingpin to a fifth wheel assembly or via a mounting bar to a saddleassembly;

FIG. 8 depicts a combination saddle useful in embodiments describedherein;

FIG. 9 is a schematic representation of another embodiment; and

FIGS. 10-11 are additional embodiments for securing wheels or tires towheel mounts of a single rail tow apparatus.

While the invention will be described in connection with certainpreferred embodiments, there is no intent to limit it to thoseembodiments. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives,modifications and equivalents as included within the spirit and scope ofthe invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention are highly useful in transportingtrucks and other vehicles, including new trucks, from one location toanother. While embodiments are most useful in this application, they mayalso be used to transport other vehicles, such as used trucks, from onedealer to another.

Design for Reduced Stress and Low Profile

As noted above, embodiments of the extended forward tow saddlemount areaimed at safe and economical delivery of vehicles. Accordingly, vehiclestowed with the present embodiments and the present method face forward,their normal direction of travel. In this way, there are no additionalside loads or wind loads placed on the vehicles. For instance, manyhighway class 7 and class 8 vehicle have very large aerodynamic cabfeatures, e.g., large fairings designed to deflect the winds encounteredin high speed driving. When a truck with these large surface features istowed while facing rear-ward, the beneficial effect of these features islost. Instead, the aerodynamic features may almost be said to act as athrust-reverser, since the wind is caught in the rear of the cab. Thefeatures and fairings may not be designed for these reversed loads.Thus, in many cases, cabs must be reinforced and buttressed to preventdamage from rear-facing tows at high speed.

In addition, the extended forward tow saddlemount is intended to be aslow-profile as possible, in the sense of minimizing the height of thetowed vehicle. Minimizing the height assures the safest travel overhighways that cross bridges, ramps, and other overpasses. In addition,minimizing the height also minimizes the stress to which the vehicle ortruck is subjected when it is hoisted or lifted into position for thetow. The saddlemount is intended to function in as economical a manneras possible. The saddlemount is designed with minimal vertical rise andmaximum support of the towed load. One embodiment is preferablyconfigured so that it may be disassembled for easiest transport when itis not being used. This embodiment is preferably equipped with sleevesand locking pins to secure the apparatus in place. Other embodiments maybe bolted, welded or otherwise configured in a permanent configurationthat is not able to be disassembled.

There are clearly high stresses involved in hoisting a large, bulkytruck off the ground and supporting it on another truck. Towing thetruck at reasonable speeds adds to the stress, and performing turns andother maneuvers in traffic adds still more stress. Our calculationssuggest that lower stress on the tow apparatus may be achieved by betterplacement of the pivot necessary for turns and other maneuvers. Insteadof the traditional pivot on the towing truck, typically achieved byusing a pivoting king pin with either a fifth wheel or a saddle assemblywith a saddle head, our design places the pivot nearer the towedvehicle. Thus, a two-point attachment is used for the towing vehiclewith only a single point, a pivot point, used near the towed vehicle,rather than on the towing vehicle.

FIGS. 1-3 depict a first embodiment of a single rail, extended forwardtow saddlemount. Single rail saddlemount 10 includes a tow bar 11 with aforward portion 12, an angled, central portion 13, and a rear portion14. Mounted to the front portion 12 is a fifth wheel mount and extensionplate 15 and a second extension plate and an extension plate mount 16.The front portion mounts to a truck or carrier that tows a second truckor vehicle. The rear portion 14 includes a single rear-swivel 17, a rearbracket 18 with a towed vehicle front axle support plate 18 a, and wheelmounts 19. While some tow bars have a swivel near the front, i.e., nearthe towing vehicle, embodiments in this patent have a swivel near therear of the saddlemount, near the towed vehicle. The front vehicle isprevented from swiveling by using two extension mounting plates that aremounted on the front vehicle. In this embodiment, each of the forward,central, and rear portions include only a single structural element,such as square or rectangular tubing, rather than the twin rails thathave previously been used, such as those with two parallel structuralelements extending front-to-rear from the towing vehicle to the towedvehicle.

The front portion 12 is preferably made from steel square or rectangulartubing or from welded channels or other structural steel, such as steelplate, for ease of construction. The preferred dimensions are about 6inches wide and about 8 inches deep, made from ½ inch plate. Otherdimensions and other thicknesses are suitable, so long as the weldmentor finished piece meets all needed structural requirements. Thesedimensions will also work well for the central and rear portions 13, 14,of the single rail tow bar.

Front portion 12 includes extension plate 153 with bolting plates 154 oneither side of the extension plate. the extension plates preferably haveadjustment slots or orifices 155 for ease of installation on the towingvehicle, such as to the truck fifth wheel or frame rails of the towingvehicle using J-bolts or U-bolts. The extension plate 153 mounts to atow bar mounting bracket 152 as shown. Mounting bar 152 need not becomplex, and as shown, may include merely top and side surfaces forsecuring to extension plate 153, as by welding or bolting. Mounting bar152 mounts to tow bar front portion 12 by orifices 156, 157. Frontportion 12 preferably has a plurality of orifices 157 so that theposition of the mounting bar and extension plate may be easily adjusted.The mounting bar is then secured via nuts and bolts, 158, 159, andwashers 160, preferably locking washers, or other fasteners. In oneembodiment, mounting bar 152 may be similar to a mounting bar disclosedand discussed in FIG. 7. Other mounting devices may be used.

The mounting bracket 16 for the second extension plate is somewhat morecomplex and has provisions for vertical adjustment in order toaccommodate vehicles of different sizes and to allow for a low profiletow. Mounting bracket 16 is preferably a generally pyramidal-shapedweldment made from a number of pieces as herein described. As shown inFIG. 2, mounting bracket 16 includes two parallel side members 161, eachwith two reinforcing ribs 161 a welded to the side members. Side members161 are secured at the top by welding to a top member 162 and at thebottom to a reinforcing tube 163 and to a bottom member or extensionplate 164. The extension plate preferably has bolting adjustment slotsor orifices 165 on both its sides. These slots or orifices arepreferably used with straight bolts or U-bolts to secure the mountingbracket 16 and its extension plate 64 to the frame or frame rails of thetowing vehicle. In one embodiment, extension plates 164 are about teninches wide, rather than the usual eight inches in previousapplications.

Reinforcing tube 163 may also be made as a weldment from steel plate, ormay be square or rectangular steel tubing. In one embodiment, the tubeis about six inches wide (across) and about two inches high. End plates163 a may be used for additional dimensional stability. Mounting bracket16 has at least two vertically spaced orifices 166 for placement of apivot 168. The pivot is preferably steel rod. Note that the pivotinghere takes place vertically, allowing for slight vertical movement ofthe saddlemount or tow bar, not the left-to-right horizontal pivotingassociated with turning or other maneuvers of the towed vehicle withrespect to the front or towing vehicle. The mounting bracket mayoptionally include an adjustment plate 167 (not necessarily secured tothe mounting bracket or to the steel rod) for precise positioning of thefront portion 12 of the tow bar. This plate may includes supports 167 aunderneath the adjustment or support plate. The bracket also includesoptional adjustment spacers 169 for the vertical adjustment of thebracket. Spacers 169 are typically wood, but other materials may beused.

Front portion 12 of the tow bar may fit through mounting bracket 16 inat least three positions, as shown in FIG. 2. Pivot 168 and adjustmentplate 167 may not be used, with the front portion 12 simply resting atoptube 163. In one alternative position, pivot 168 may be secured in thelower orifices 166, spaced about 3 inches above tube 163. The frontportion then rests on pivot 168, and further adjustment may be made withadjustment plate 167. In a second alternative, the higher of orifices166 may be used, the higher orifices in this instance spaced about 3inches above the lower orifices discussed above. Other heights may beused, and the adjustment plate may also be used for further heightadjustment. Instead of a single pin or pivot 168, two may be used inparallel, front to back, for a more stable mounting.

The middle portion 13 and rear portion 14 are shown in greater detail inFIG. 3. Middle portion 13 is preferably made from square or rectangulartubing or steel plate, and is preferably about 6 inches wide (across)and about 8 inches deep. In order to insure the strength of the towapparatus, reinforcing plates 131, 132 may be used on both sides wherethe middle portion 13 joins to the forward and rear portions 12, 14. Inaddition, bosses or flanged bosses 133, 134 may also be used toreinforce the joints. These bosses are preferably joined by welding.However, the bosses may also be secured with fasteners, such as boltswith nuts and locking washers.

Rear portion 14 is somewhat more complex. Rear portion 14 preferably ismade from rectangular or square tubing as discussed above, and is alsomade in three portions. There is a proximal portion 141 joined to midportion 143 by fasteners, such as threaded bolts or rods 147 and lockingcotter pins 148 through orifices 144. Mid portion 143 is preferablywelded to distal portion 142. Mid portion 143 is preferably justslightly smaller than mating portions 141, 142, so that mid portion 143may be easily welded within distal portion 142 and moved within proximalportion 141. If the proximal and distal portions are made from ½ inchplate, the outer dimensions of mid portion 143 will preferably be abouta little more than one inch less than those of proximal portion 141 anddistal portion 142.

Distal portion 142 may be reinforced with reinforcing plates 145 weldedon either side to secure distal portion 142 to top and bottom front axleplates 18 a, 18 d. At least top front axle plate 18 a has an orifice 18c to allow for pivot 17. The front axle plate 18 a also includes axleblocks 18 b for axle positioning and security. Pivot 17 allows rearbracket 18 to swivel in a horizontal plane with respect to tow bar 11and in particular with respect to rear portion 14.

Rear bracket 18 is also preferably made from rectangular or square steeltubing, or from steel plates welded together. Rear bracket 18 is thuswelded to front axle plates 18 a, 18 d, and to left and right sidereinforcements 181. Rear bracket 18 terminates in tire mounts 19 oneither side. The vehicle being towed is mounted with its rear axle ontop front axle plate 18 a, and with its front tires and wheels in tiremounts 19. Tire mounts 19 may also be fabricated from steel tubing orplate. Tire mount forward portions 191 are preferably welded toreinforcements 181 and to wings 193. This allows a rigid and strongplatform for towing a vehicle.

The tire mounts 19 include rear adjustment portions 192 as shown. Rearadjustment portions 192 are preferably slightly smaller than forwardportions 191, so that a position of rear portion 192 may be adjusted byinserting rear portion 192 into forward portion 191, and then securingthe two using orifices 194, 195 and fasteners. This allows for sizeadjustment of the tire or wheel mounts, and allows for better securingof the towed vehicle to the towing vehicle. In a preferred embodiment,forward portion 191 may be made from four inch square steel tubing, andrear portion 192 is made with outer dimensions a little more than oneinch smaller, both parts made from steel ½ inch thick. Rear portion 192is preferably insertable as much as about eight to ten inches intoforward portion 191, and is secured on each side with two pins or boltsthat are locked into place, as with nuts and locking washers or cotterpins.

The wheels of the towed truck or vehicle should be positively retainedin the wheel mounts. A locking device for accomplishing this isdisclosed in FIG. 6. Wheel mount lock 60 includes a lower adapter 61that fits around the outer portion of the wheel mount 19. Lower adapter61 includes a mounting flange 62 with an orifice 63. Upper adapter 64fits around the top portion of the wheel or tire 67 and also includes aflange 65 and an orifice 66. Upper and lower adapter thus secure thewheel or tire in the wheel mount and are themselves secured in placewith at least one bolt 68 and a matching nut 69, preferably with lockwashers.

As shown in FIG. 4, the single rail extended forward tow saddlemount 10is secured to a fifth wheel 101 of a towing vehicle T1 with firstextension plate 15 and a kingpin. The tow bar is also joined to towingtruck T1 via extension plate 16, while towed vehicle T2 rests on therear portion 14 with its tires and wheels in wheel mounts 19. There arethus two non-swiveling connections to towing vehicle T1 and a singleswiveling connection near towed vehicle T2.

There are many ways to secure the front portion of the saddlemount tothe towing truck or vehicle. One way is to use a support or mounting baras disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,677, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety, as though each page of the patent were setforth herein. The mounting bar 152 of FIG. 2 is very similar to themounting bar depicted in the referenced patent and reproduced here asFIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 7, support bar 70 secures the front portion 12of a saddlemount to the towing truck or vehicle. The mounting supportincludes a mounting bar 71 at a top surface and a king pin 72 at anopposite surface. The mounting surface includes two spaced-apartvertical walls 73 joined by two side plates 74, preferably by welding.The side plates are joined in a support assembly 77 to support theactual mounting bar 71. Mounting bar 71 is configured to be grasped by asaddle head or saddle assembly, as also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.5,722,677, and well known to those with ordinary skill in this art.

In other embodiments, the first point of attachment of the single railextended forward tow saddlemount may be a mounting bar, similar tomounting bar 15 or 71, and connecting to the towing truck or vehicle bya saddle, in which case there is no need for an extension plate. Acombination saddle 110 with a king pin 118, saddle head 116, J-claws 117and J-bolts 120 is depicted in FIG. 8. The saddle base 112 attaches tothe towing vehicle with J-bolts or U-bolts (not shown) to the truckfifth wheel, frame or frame rails of the vehicle through slots ororifices 111.

Design for Disassembly

Another embodiment of a single-rail extended forward tow saddlemount isdepicted in FIG. 5. In this embodiment, the tow bar is designed fordisassembly, so that it may be returned to the truck assembly plant orother point, such as a truck dealership. The single rail frontsaddlemount is a bulky, heavy piece of equipment. It must be returned tothe truck assembly plant or dealership if it is to be reused. If theapparatus can be disassembled, it may be possible to stow two or threesuch single-rail saddlemounts in the space occupied by a singleapparatus that cannot be disassembled. Note that the embodimentsdiscussed above are already designed for disassembly, since at least therear portions may be moved for adjusting the length of the tow bar, andthus the rear portions may also be removed, accomplishing disassembly.Further disassembly for shipment is possible.

A single-rail extended forward tow saddlemount designed for disassembly210 includes a forward portion 212, a mid portion 213, and a rearportion 214 which includes aft portion 216. Forward portion 212 isjoined to mid portion 213 with buttress plates 221 on either side of thecentral square or rectangular tubing that constitutes the forward andmid portions. The buttress plates are preferably at least ½ inch steeland are joined to the forward and mid portions by fasteners, such asbolts 225 with nuts 226 and lock washers 227. At the other end, midportion 213 is joined to aft portion 214 by an additional set ofbuttress plates 222 on both sides of the apparatus. The two are joinedby fasteners through orifices 224 through the buttress plates andthrough the mid and aft portions. In some embodiments, the mid and rearportions 213, 214 may be a single portion welded together that cannot befurther disassembled.

Rear portion 214 includes an extension 211 that fits within aft portion216. Aft portion 216 is joined to the rear portion 214 by aligningorifices 215 in the two and joining the portion with fasteners, such asthreaded bolts and nuts. Thus, it is relatively easy to disassemble theaft portion by removing the fasteners. The aft portion preferablyincludes a rear swivel 217 mounted between front axle plates 209, rearbracket 218, and wheel mounts 219.

In some embodiments, the joint between the forward and mid portions 212,213, or between mid and rear portions 213, 214 may be reinforced with anangled flanged reinforcement by using extended buttress plates thatcapture the tow bar portions and hold the reinforcement in place. Thus,extended buttress plate 232 is larger than the angled joint of the mainportions, larger so that it has, in this example, a first plurality oforifices 233 for attaching to the portions, and a second set of orifices236 for attaching to angled reinforcement 234 with a flange 235 forbetter mating to the forward/mid portions or to the mid/aft portions.Angled reinforcement 234 is held in place fasteners through orifices237, which match the second set of orifices 236.

The embodiments discussed above achieve a rear pivot for the saddlemountand insure that the front or towing vehicle does not pivot horizontallywith respect to the front or towing vehicle. This is accomplished byconnecting the tow bar to two points on the front vehicle, one pointforward and one point rearward with respect to an intended direction oftravel of the vehicles. It is also possible to insure that there is nopivoting in the front or towing vehicle by mounting the forward portionof the forward tow apparatus 90 in the manner shown in FIG. 9. In thisembodiment, forward portion 91 includes left and right portion 92 andextension plates 93 with slots or orifice 94 for bolting to the framesor frame rails of the towing vehicle. This structure will also hold thetowing vehicle firmly and will not allow a front pivot. The pivot takesplace at orifice 96 for rear pivot 97, aft of mid portion 95 and joiningrear portion 98. Rear portion 98 includes wheel mounts 99.

The wheels of the vehicle may be secured within wheel mounts of thefront tow apparatus in other ways, such as with sturdy strapping, asdepicted in FIGS. 10-11. In FIG. 10, the wheel 101 of a truck is securedto wheel mount 100 by strapping 102 about the circumference of thewheel, and is secured tightly by tightening ratchet 103. The strappingis preferably nylon strapping, but other materials may be used. In FIG.11, wheel 111 is secured to wheel mount 110 by a carrier tie-down straps112, and is secured with two tightening ratchets 114. These methods helpto insure the stability of the wheels in the wheel mounts.

Embodiments are not limited to a single towed truck, since more than onetruck may be towed, so long as the total length limitation for acombination of towing and towed vehicles, currently 97 feet, is notexceeded. The forward saddlemount 10 allows for adjusting the distancebetween the towed vehicle and the towing vehicle, allowing a somewhatgreater distance between the vehicles than the prior art. In eitherembodiment, the front axle of the truck being towed, and thus the frontwheels, are lifted off the ground only about 8-12 inches, thusminimizing any height increase of the vehicle being towed.

The embodiments described above are only a few of the many possibleconfigurations and uses of the front towing apparatus. The angledconstruction disclosed is very useful for mounting a towed vehicle to atowing vehicle while minimizing the increase of height of the towedvehicle. The preferred mounting is to lift the front wheels of the towedvehicle off the ground, thus minimizing wear and stress on the towedvehicle while maximizing control by the towing vehicle. If desired, allrear wheels of the towed vehicle can remain on the ground during towing,but lifting the front wheels off the ground is the preferred method.

All references, including publications, applications for patents, andpatents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the sameextent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicatedto be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entiretyherein.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in thecontext of describing the invention (especially in the context of thefollowing claims) is to be construed to cover both the singular and theplural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted bycontext. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing”are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, butnot limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of valuesherein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referringindividually to each separate value falling within the range, unlessotherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated intothe specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methodsdescribed herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwiseindicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The useof any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”)provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the inventionand does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unlessotherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construedas indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice ofthe invention.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, includingthe best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention.Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to thoseof ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. Theinventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations asappropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practicedotherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, thisinvention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subjectmatter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicablelaw. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in allpossible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unlessotherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

1. An extended forward tow saddlemount, comprising: a front portionsituated above a rear bed of a towing vehicle for interfacing with saidtowing vehicle, the front portion comprising a first and a secondextension plate for mounting to the towing vehicle; a middle portion,configured for connection to the front portion, for adapting anelevation of a towed vehicle; and a rear portion, configured forconnection to the middle portion, for mounting to an axle and wheels ofthe towed vehicle, the rear portion further comprising an axle mount andtwo wheel mounts for mounting the towed vehicle, wherein the rearportion further comprises a swivel for rotatable connection to the axlemount and wherein a length of the rear portion is adjustable.
 2. Thesaddlemount of claim 1, wherein the length of the rear portion isadjustable with orifices and at least one fastener.
 3. The saddlemountof claim 1, wherein the second extension plate further comprises anextension plate mount and is configured for vertical adjustment orpivotal mounting of the front portion, or both.
 4. The saddlemount ofclaim 1, wherein the first and second extension plates mount to thetowing vehicle with extension plate mounts.
 5. The saddlemount of claim1, further comprising buttress plates joining the front portion to themiddle portion in a first joint, or joining the middle portion to therear portion in a second joint, or both, and optionally comprising atleast one reinforcing boss in the first or second joint.
 6. Thesaddlemount of claim 1, wherein the front portion further comprises asupport interface, said support interface comprising a kingpin on oneside and a mounting bar on an opposite side.
 7. An extended forward towsaddlemount, comprising: a front portion situated above a rear bed of atowing vehicle comprising two spaced apart mounts configured formounting to said towing vehicle; a middle portion configured forconnection to the front portion at a first joint; and a rear portionremovably connected to the middle portion at a second joint, the rearportion further comprising a swivelable portion configured for mountinga towed vehicle, the swivelable portion further comprising wheel mountsfor the towed vehicle, wherein the rear portion is configured foradjusting a length of the rear portion, and wherein the wheel mounts areoptionally configured for adjusting a size of the wheel mounts.
 8. Thesaddlemount of claim 7, wherein the middle portion is removablyconnected to the rear portion by orifices and fasteners, or wherein themiddle portion is removably connected to the front portion by orificesand fasteners.
 9. The saddlemount of claim 7, further comprisingbuttress plates for connecting at least one of the front and middleportions, and the middle and rear portions.
 10. The saddlemount of claim7, wherein the size of the wheel mounts is adjustable by orifices andfasteners.
 11. The saddlemount of claim 7, further comprising areinforcing boss for the first or second joint.
 12. The saddlemount ofclaim 7, wherein a position of the front portion is adjustable withrespect to the two spaced apart mounts.
 13. A method of preparing to towa forward-facing towed vehicle with a towing vehicle, the methodcomprising steps of: furnishing a single rail extended forward towsaddlemount, the saddlemount comprising a front portion situated above arear bed of a towing vehicle, and two spaced apart plates for mountingto said towing vehicle, a middle portion for adapting an elevation ofthe forward-facing towed vehicle, and a rear portion for adjustablymounting to an axle and wheels of the towed vehicle, wherein the frontportion is configured for joining at a first angle to the middle portionand the middle portion is configured for joining to the rear portion ata second angle, and wherein the front portion is configured to allow nohorizontal rotation of the saddlemount with respect to the towingvehicle and wherein the rear portion is configured for pivotal mountingto the forward-facing towed vehicle; mounting the front portion to thetowing vehicle with a mounting pin or a mounting bar; adjusting a lengthof the rear portion; and mounting the rear portion to an axle or towheels of the towed vehicle.
 14. The method of claim 13, furthercomprising a step of towing the forward-facing towed vehicle using thesingle rail extended forward tow saddlemount.
 15. The method of claim13, wherein the front wheels of the towed vehicle are raised about 8-12inches above a ground surface.
 16. The method of claim 13, wherein thestep of mounting the rear portion to wheels of the towed vehicle isaccomplished with a wheel security assembly.
 17. A method of preparingto tow a forward-facing towed vehicle with a towing vehicle, the methodcomprising: furnishing an extended forward tow saddlemount according toclaim 7; mounting the front portion to the towing vehicle; optionallyadjusting the length of the rear portion; mounting the rear portion toan axle or wheels of the towed vehicle; and mounting the rear portion tothe towed vehicle using the wheel mounts and optionally, strapping. 18.The method of claim 17, further comprising a step of towing theforward-facing towed vehicle using the front saddlemount.
 19. The methodof claim 17, further comprising adjusting a position of the frontportion with respect to which the two spaced-apart mounts.
 20. Themethod of claim 17, further comprising reinforcing the saddlemount byassembling an angled reinforcement to the first joint or second joint.